Martin B. (Martin Bronn) Ruud

Born in 1885 and remembered as Martin Bronn Ruud, he taught English at the University of Minnesota and built a reputation as a thoughtful, demanding scholar. A University of Minnesota profile written about his legacy describes him as a professor of unusual integrity whose influence on students and younger scholars was greater than the size of his published bibliography might suggest.

His books include An Essay Toward a History of Shakespeare in Norway, An Essay Toward a History of Shakespeare in Denmark, and Thomas Chaucer. He also worked as a translator and editor, with projects connected to Ludvig Holberg and to Norwegian Emigrant Songs and Ballads, reflecting both his academic interests and his ties to Scandinavian and Norwegian American culture.

Ruud died in 1941. Archival and bibliographic records preserve not only his writings but also the impression he left on colleagues, students, and the University of Minnesota, where his name continued through memorial support for future study.